Best of 2003 / Top CDs 2003

Sergio Zamora · March-24th-2003, 08:58 PM

Setting the limit to 10 is so petite-bourgeois - post however many you want. Feel free to interpret 'top' as either 'best' or 'favorite'. Whatever floats your boat.

I just need some recs.

Chuck Nessa · March-24th-2003, 09:06 PM

You talking about new music or reissues, or both.

Sergio Zamora · March-24th-2003, 09:12 PM

Both.

Nate Dorward · March-25th-2003, 01:20 AM

So far, of the new discs I've heard, these ones stand the best shot of surviving the winnowing process for the yearend top-ten (& yes, I'm keeping that figure in mind, since I'll actually have to submit "official" lists to a couple magazines):

Manuel Mota, Leopardo, Rossbin
Evan Parker and Joe McPhee, Chicago Tenor Duets, Okkadisk
Markus Eichenberger, Domino Concept for Orchestra, Emanem
Whit Dickey, Prophet Moon, Riti

Gary Sisco · March-25th-2003, 09:55 AM

I'll add Vandermark 5's new one (Airports For Light). Up to snuff in all regards, even with the new drummer, who is very, very good. One listen I might like this one even more than Acoustic Machine, which I liked very much, indeed, and gave a *lot* of airplay. Kessler sounds better than ever, here, to me. And I like the recording itself as well. Very well done, except for the design, which leaves me entirely cold, especially the tiny italic font used for the info. Give an aging dj a break ... How'm I supposed to quickly read type like that? The music's what's important, though, of course. Almost all CDs have crappy designs.

Haven't heard the bonus disk yet.

Gary Sisco · March-25th-2003, 09:58 AM

For reissues:

Chuck's reissue of "Snurdy McGurdy And Her Dancing Shoes" will easily be in my list of the year, no doubt.

Can't remember if it's a 2003 or late 2002, but Sun Ra's "Music For Tomorrow's World" is another, despite the absolutely atrocious sound quality of the second set. The first one's worth the ticket price, alone.

sashabur · March-25th-2003, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Gary Sisco
Can't remember if it's a 2003 or late 2002, but Sun Ra's "Music For Tomorrow's World" is another.

Late 2002. But they say that John Corbett is planning another reissue!

Nate Dorward · March-25th-2003, 10:35 AM

Well, let's not be too picky re late 2002 vs 2003--I'm sure that few people got a chance to really hear the disc till 2003. The first half of that Sun Ra disc is sublime, & is a quite acceptable club recording....it's a real shame that the 2nd half is in such amazingly bad sound quality (I described it at the time as "loggy & heavily distorted"). After several spins I got to the point I could tolerate it & enjoy the music, which is itself terrific. Anyway, it's great music, but definitely caveat emptor!

Gary Sisco · March-26th-2003, 10:01 AM

Nate -- You're a better man than I. I only listened to the second Ra set once. You're right that the music's great but I just can't take listening to that degree of awful sound. It's like a badly made home recording by someone who'd never recorded anything before. The first set, though, as you say, is sublime, agreed. I'd have paid full freight for that alone without complaint.

al j · March-26th-2003, 01:20 PM

Here are some that have been getting easily as much play as my favorites from last year.

Blivins/Davis - Benthic
Unstable Ensemble - Liturgy of Ghosts
Whit Dickey - Prophet Moon
Roland Ramanan - Shaken

Has anyone been to the Emanem site lately? Some promising stuff coming up:

4087 Frode Gjerstad & Derek Bailey - 'Nearly a D' (2002)

4088 Howard Riley / John Tilbury / Keith Tippett - 'Another Part of the Story' (2002) - three pianos

Bobby Bradford - 'Love's Dream' (1973) reissue plus with Trevor Watts, Kent Carter & John Stevens

Masashi Harada Condanction Ensemble (2001)

Derek Taylor · March-26th-2003, 03:48 PM

Echoing some picks already mentioned by others…

New Releases:

Evan Parker & Joe McPhee – CHICAGO TENOR DUETS
John Tchicai/Pierre Dørge/Lou Grassi – HOPE IS BRIGHT GREEN UP NORTH
Lucian Ban & Alex Harding – SOMETHIN’ HOLY
Misha Mengelberg & ICP – JAPON, JAPON
V5 – AIRPORTS OF LIGHT

Reissues:

Pee Wee Russell – ASK ME NOW!
Schlippenbach Trio – PAKISTANI POMADE
Brötzmann Sextet/Quartet – MORE NIPPLES
Stuff Smith – TIME AND AGAIN
Franz Koglmann – L’HEURE BLEUE
Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis & Shirley Scott - BACALAO

Brian Olewnick · March-26th-2003, 08:30 PM

Early contenders include:

Repeat (Toshi Nakamura/Jason Kahn) - Pool
Sachiko M/Sean Meehan - s/t
Keith Rowe - 29 October 2001

Reissue - Roscoe/Snurdy

SinginSumo · March-27th-2003, 05:01 AM

Early contender:

Omar Sosa - Ayaguna

Gary Sisco · March-27th-2003, 09:13 AM

Here's a second for Unstable Ensemble's "Liturgy Of Ghosts." I'd forgotten that was a this year. Good one, from the American avant-garde's secret weapon.

Vince Kargatis · March-28th-2003, 06:42 PM

One of my very favorite Tim Berne albums was reissued this year: FRACTURED FAIRY TALES (1989), on W&W.

And have I missed remarks noting that the (properly?) remastered Blanton-Webster Band set is out this week? That's big news!

Gary Sisco · March-29th-2003, 08:17 AM

David S. Ware Quartet -- Freedom Suite

jazzfiend · March-29th-2003, 09:31 PM

Right arm, bro! I'm with ya on Freedom Suite, without a doubt.

Gary, why are you lagging on Kenny Garrett's new one?

Gary Sisco · March-30th-2003, 10:50 AM

Don -- I'm not jumping up and down about getting it but will one of these days. Major labels are way down on my list these days, anyway (I hung fire even on Jason Moran's new one for six months or so), for one thing. And also I heard the band live in Burlington and, though it was fun to hear Kenny live, I'm not sure I need to have a CD right away. Basically, just too many other titles on the list ahead of it, is all.

Jason Bivins · March-30th-2003, 10:58 AM

Thanks for the props, guys. I actually haven't heard too much from '03 yet, but a reissue I'm excited about (other than "Snurdy," which I still need to get) is the upcoming Tzadik 4-disc box of Wadada Leo Smith's Kabell releases. Hey Chuck, any chance you'll re-release "Spirit Catcher"?

michaelr · March-30th-2003, 11:17 AM

Great to hear that the Leo Smith catalog will see the light of day. I had heard a while back that it was supposed to be coming out on Revenant, but assumed that it would fall through the cracks. This is awsome music that deserves reissue.

bluenoter · March-30th-2003, 11:21 AM

michaelr--

Great avatar!

Chuck Nessa · March-30th-2003, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jason Bivins
Thanks for the props, guys. I actually haven't heard too much from '03 yet, but a reissue I'm excited about (other than "Snurdy," which I still need to get) is the upcoming Tzadik 4-disc box of Wadada Leo Smith's Kabell releases. Hey Chuck, any chance you'll re-release "Spirit Catcher"?

Not fair asking for more if you don't have the current one.

Derek Taylor · March-31st-2003, 10:40 AM

Jason,

Any more info on that Wadada set from Tzadik (release date, discography, etc.)?

Sent a review of LITURGY into Cadence last week- you deserves all the props & more for that one (with any luck it will be out by summer). What’s next in the hopper?

Jason Bivins · March-31st-2003, 03:55 PM

Derek,

I saw this on the Jazzmatazz site:

NEW Leo Smith - Nu Frequency 4 CDs (Tzadik) Spring
— reissue of Smith's Kabell recordings

I'd previously read (on the Tzadik site? in Mandel's STN article?) April, but now it just looks like "Spring."

And thanks, man, for the "Liturgy" props. We're currently going through about 20 hours of tape for the third UE album, which we may or may not have by the time we hit the road in June. Also Ian and I are going over some of our recordings and will probably be doing some new recordings soon too.

al j · April-1st-2003, 01:08 AM

Huzzah!

Derek Taylor · April-1st-2003, 02:57 PM

Jason,

Thanks for the source on the Smith info and the scoop on your upcoming stuff- looking forward to both.

Digging your words over at Dusted too.

Al, nice shot of Rummy rubbing the jowls.

Martin · April-4th-2003, 09:29 AM

The four vinyl LPs Leo Smith released on Kabell were:

(1) Leo Smith - Creative Music I (1971; Leo Smith-tp, steel-o-phone, perc)

(2) New Dalta Ahkri - Reflectativity (1974; Leo Smith-tp, flh, piccolo tp, fl, perc; Anthony Davis-p; Wes Brown-b, ghanian fl)

(3) New Dalta Ahkri - Song Of Humanity (1976; Leo Smith-tp, fl, steel-o-phone, perc; Oliver Lake-sax, fl, marimbas, perc; Anthony Davis-p; Wes Brown-b, fl; Paul Maddox=Pheeroan AkLaff-dr, perc)

(4) Leo Smith - Solo Music Ahkreanvention (1979; Leo Smith-tp, fl, steel-o-phone, perc)

There is a fifth Kabell LP, released in collaboration with Gramm Records/Iceland: "Human Rights" (1986; collective personnel: Leo Smith-tp, flh, perc, voice, mbira; James Emery-g; Thurman Barker-dr; Michele Navazio-g, synth-b; Stanya-g, synth; Peter Kowald-b, tuba, perc; Günter Sommer-dr, perc; Tadao Sawai-kotos, perc)

Martin · April-4th-2003, 09:45 AM

I only have the fifth one - that's from where I sourced the info 'bout the other four.

"Human Rights" is kind of an uneven affair, due to the varying (and rather different) line-ups. It would have been a good thing to see it included in the Tzadik re-release, though.

Don't know yet if I'll buy the box set - depends on the price and maybe on other posters' comments.

Martin · April-4th-2003, 12:28 PM

Just stumbled on yet another Kabell release: 1984's "JAH Music" by Leo Smith And N'DA, featuring Leo Smith; Marty Ehrlich; Bobby Naughton; Wes Brown; David Bindman; Michael Gregory Jackson; Thurman Barker; James Emery.

So is there any hope that Tzadik are going to re-release ALL six (or maybe even more) Kabell LPs crammed onto four discs?

Other Steve · April-5th-2003, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Brian Olewnick
Early contenders include:

Repeat (Toshi Nakamura/Jason Kahn) - Pool

Brian, I feel churlish in the extreme to point this out, but Pool is from last year. I bought mine at Mondo Kim's about a week before the Nakamura/Meehan gig in November. It's a good'un, though.

I'm a little reluctant to cast votes for "Best of 2003" when the year is so young, though Snurdy will unquestionably make the grade as far as reissues go. But here are a few releases, some officially issued in 2002 but not released domestically until this year, that have been floating my own personal boat:

Tetuzi Akiyama - Resophonie
Scott Amendola - Cry
Derek Bailey/Ingar Zach - Seven
Dave Douglas - Freak In
Stefon Harris - Grand Unification Theory
Chris Lightcap - Bigmouth
John Patitucci - Songs, Stories and Spirituals

Finally, the Leo Smith set on Tzadik is definitely not coming in "spring." Tzadik releases through June are listed on both the Tzadik and Koch Distribution websites, and Smith is absent, so it's more likely going to land in late summer or early fall. That'll be better for making waves in the press, anyway -- not that the words "Tzadik" and "press" belong in the same sentence...